Justice News

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Mark Anthony Slade, 55, of Lafayette, was sentenced October 18, 2013 to 60 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for knowingly receiving child pornography on his computer. He is also required to register as a sex offender. Slade pleaded guilty on April 17, 2013.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, an investigation of local and federal law enforcement authorities determined using computer surveillance software that the defendant was downloading child pornography. He used the internet file sharing program Limewire to download the files. After obtaining a warrant, authorities searched his residence Oct. 29, 2010, and seized the defendant’s computer. Slade was found to have downloaded 10 movies of child pornography. Some of the pornography depicted prepubescent children.

“Distributing and downloading child pornography is a serious crime that is not going to be ignored by this office,” Finley said. “These criminals perpetrate the victimization of children. We will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to investigate and prosecute those who actively exploit children.”

The Lafayette Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice launched nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp Tips may be submitted anonymously.